Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 33

1 1 1 7 movies DETROIT FREE PRESSFRIDAY. JAN. 16, 1987 3C ww9 Yuppie thriller has real style Flashy finish dulls charm of 'Malcolm' THE BEDROOM WINDOW Area Theaters By DIANE HAITHMAN Free Press Staff Writer Loosely based on English author Ann Holden's novel "The Witnesses," "The Bedroom Window" is a crisp, clever and stylish thriller a frivolous yet truly scary romp in which the young urban professional matches wits with the young urban murderer in an unlikely but intriguing setting in Baltimore. Although most movies called thrillers these days depend on violence to create surprise and shock, "The Bedroom Window" manages to come up with Terry Lambert Steve Guttmborg Denise Elltsbath McGovern Sylvia laa belle Huppert Written and directed by Curtis Hanson, based on the novel "The Witnesses" by Anne Holden; produced by Martha Schumacher. A DeLaurentiis release PARENTS GUIDE: Rated profanity, violence, sexual situations.

enough plot twists to keep the I teeth on edge without any gra I zL tuitous head-bashing. This film is like reading a good scary mystery story on a rainy night MALCOLM Maple III Theatre in bed. Very little should be revealed about the story in this film, plot and script are king. But here is the basic Dremise: A voune architect By MICHAEL ROBERTS Free Press Entertainment Editor "Malcolm" could have been a good little movie about the so-called normal world as seen through the eyes of a gentle, mildly Tetarded man. But about two-thirds of the way through what seems to be a charming, low-budget Australian export, the film becomes a Rube Goldberg low-tech comedy in which toys are used to rob banks and everyone lives happily ever after.

Malcolm (Colin Friels) is a young, mentally-impaired man living alone in his late mother's house. After he loses his job in a Melbourne tram yard, a neighbor persuades him to take in a border. The first person to answer Malcolm's ad is a hapless blue-collar thief named Frank (John Hargreaves) who is more than perplexed by the maze of miniature train tracks and scale model trams running throughout the house. But Frank is down on his luck, the room is cheap and Malcolm doesn't mind when Frank's girlfriend moves in as well. to THE GIRLFRIEND, Judith (Lindy Da-vies), is a kind, sensitive woman who has enough understanding for both Frank and Malcolm.

With her as the emotional intermediary, this odd trio become a family of sorts, and the awkward silence is slowly replaced by conversation, arguments and laughter. Malcolm Colin Frlelt Frank John Hargreavei Judith Lindy Davlet A tilm written by David Parker, directed by Nadia Tass and produced by Parker and Tass. Director ot photography, David Parker. Running time: 90 minutes. PARENTS GUIDE: PG-13; sexual situations, bloody Anglified profanity.

yuppie-type for the movies. Though he's been at the bottom of the filmic barrel in "Police Academy," he gained respectability in "Cocoon." And he's perfectly adequate here as Terry Lambert, an architect with an arty loft apartment, an ingenuous attitude toward love and an innate curiosity that leads him to play detective in the case. All the script requires of him is that he be believable as he tries to track down a murderer while driving a white sportscar. He succeeds. FRENCH ACTRESS Isabelle Huppert, the somber, freckled redhead who has probably appeared in half the French films that get screened in the U.S., takes full advantage of this chance to play a vivacious, glamorous character instead her usual silent, unfathomable sort.

(This is her second American film, the first being the ill-fated "Heaven's As with Guttenberg's character, however, it wouldn't really matter who played it all that's needed is a warm body to service the plot. The film adds a new character to the story: the attack victim Denise (Elizabeth McGovern), a neighbor of Guttenberg's who becomes involved in the chase. Although her involvement is the least believable element of the story, she plays it with such amusing, down-to-earth matter-of-factness it really doesn't matter. mad bugger!" But a good little movie seems not enough for husband and wife filmmakers Nadia Tass and David Parker. After an hour spent mostly in the cramped confines of Malcolm's house and his tiny sidestreet neighborhood, the film takes to the streets and a Swiss bank that Frank schemes to rob.

all crooks' money anyway," Judith rationalizes.) THIS LAST THIRD of the movie strives for Hollywood razzle dazzle, at times dipping into low humor that contradicts the earlier sensitive tone normal," hisses Frank to Malcolm as they spot a pair of policemen. "I am" mugs Malcolm). "Malcolm," produced for a dirt-cheap $600,000, last month won eight Australian Film Institute awards, including honors for best film, director, writer, actor and supporting actors! It is worth seeing for its first hour of warm, intelligent ensemble acting, and for its gutsy, low-budget feel. Unfortunately, like an inept salesman, the film doesn't know how to close. (Steve Guttenberg) is having Guttenberg an affair with his employer's wife (Isabelle Hup-pert).

On their first night together, Huppert's character witnesses a young woman being assaulted outside Guttenberg's bedroom window. Guttenberg, closeted in the bathroom, sees nothing. Out of sense of civic duty, however, Guttenberg insists that Huppert must report what she saw to the police. For obvious reasons, she cannot reveal that she was in Guttenberg's apartment that night. Guttenberg devises a solution: He will tell the police what Huppert saw a man with a pale complexion in a beige windbreaker with a red duck-tail haircut and pretend he saw it himself.

LIKE TOM HANKS (most recently seen as Jackie Gleason's advertising executive son in "Nothing In Guttenberg seems to be becoming another all-purpose, almost-30, appealingly affable The gradual opening up of Malcolm is delicately told through both the understated performance of Friels and the rough, likable warmth of Hargreaves He Might Hear This is "Charly" without the science fiction, full of small victories and liberating laughter. There are moments to treasure as Judith untangles Malcolm's story about his mother's death, or the tram conductor sneaks Malcolm, loaded down with scrap for one of his mechanical projects, onto his tram with a gleeful, "Get up here, you IANE FONDA JEFF BRIDGES USA TODAY, Mike Clark "It's wonderful. One of the great Wrum3k ABCGOOD MORNING AMERICA, Joel Siegel ISrtfpS CLASSIC i WA first class two of the year's most memorable screen characters. 'The Morning After' gives Jane Fonda her best role in years and proves once again that Jeff Bridges is one of today's finest Jadv actors. -SNEAK PREVIEWS, Michael Medved and the TRM1P i rfOm ik novel Uy WCIKU vmcPNC tlKSI 'ITVXlTN jell Technicobr-Gnescope- Ll8 fttSTTWIEIN WB Hit MM Over Company iinm sh wing KKILKD SATURDAY AT 1:30 3:15 i umm mmmrmmm "Jane Fonda is brilliant.she tells you more with her face than most actresses would with a 400 page script.

She is superb in 'The Morning After! AT THE MOVIES, Rex Reed "Jane Fonda gives her most compelling perform-ance since 'Coming Home! people magazine, Haiier ONLY 12:50 2:40 5:00 SATURDAY, 1 00 2:45 i mmw tmmm 1:15 3:00 5:15 PM ONLY 10, 5:30 7 10 11:30 1 230 4 5:30 7830 1:30 PM ONLY 1011:30 1 2:30 4 530 7 8:30 10:0011:301:00 2:30 4:00 LMUJLHK 1:15 PM ONLY 12:001:40 3:20 5:00 6:30 WW en "Jane Fonda and Jeff Bridges are wonderful in The Morning NEW YORK POST, Roger Ebert "EDDIE MURPHY IS A BRILLIANT COMIC ACTOR 24-carat Great!" "GOOD FROM BEGINNING TO END Murphy slides through with ease, wisecracks and unflappable funnier than 'Beverly Hills Rooar EWl NEW TOtt "OS! "A TOUR DE FORCE FOR EDDIE MURPHY full bodied screen has taken that gigantic leap from successful comic to outright leading man." Jdt Curry, USA TODAY mm IS fel Jmi i if "Jane Fonda and Jeff Bridges are at their in this stylish wor-tv new york, Judith Crist "Suspenseful entertainment.with a fascinating, involving performance by Jane GANNETT NEWSPAPERS, William Wolf "An entertaining new romantic thriller. The Morning After' has an original, sometimes spectacular Jane Fonda and Jeff Bridges are a winning new york times, Vincent Canby The Morning After p. can be murder. mmMmWBmmmWm UHIMAS MOTION PICTURES PRESEITS JANE FONDA JEFF BRIDGES emwctoTHE MORNING AFTER IMJL.IULlAI Ml mPAllCHIHARA mSSANDRZEJ BARTKOWIAK fSiWOLFGANG GLATTES HICKS KbFAYE SCHWAB BRUCE GILBERT iiJiHiiiiiiaiiiiiVfJife-ijg "TSDNEYLUMET LORIMAR MOTK.1N0K ZUfcinUf Dl AVINfa MTIICTID aa UNDER IT jtroulflEI ACCOMPAMYIHQ PARENT OR RDULT GUARDIAN I 6 a i A ft ft A ft Pit RELEASED IV TWENTIETH CENTUNV FOI FILM C0WW1ATI0N inn -j no 1B 7 45 10:15 6:10 11:40 W. An iHJ WLli ii I HUM! imM.Hii.iM.'.ii-g MELD 6 15 745 9 55 5:00 7:00 a 13 g.wi.M,T, CALL FOR SHOWTIMES 1:05 3:10 5:25 7:35 9:50 1:00 3:10 6:20 7:30 9:40 'nfiwi II I''-n 2:30 5:30 7:45 9:5512:15 2:00 5:00 7:15 9:45 5:00 7:15 9:30 3:30 6:46 10:06 11:50 10 12 2 4 6 10 11:45 2:465.

7:169:3011 -X 1:45 5,7:15 9:3011:30 5:30 7:4510:15 12:40 3, 5:10 7:35 9:45 "10 12 2:15 4:30 7:00.8:1511:15 1:00 7:25 9:35 11:0 1:15 7:25 9:30 11:30 1:26 7:36 9:36 11:35 1:003:005:10 7:309:3012 DRIVE-IN 10, 12, 2,4, 6, 8, 10 1:107:159:2011:25 1:00 7:30 9:4011:50 12, 2,4.7:40 9:40 12 10, 12, 2:15 4:30 7:00 9:15.